Jim Parker: A tax for our tourists - you can flush that idea down the pan!

I was taking a quick look at the South West politics show on the Beeb the other week, when a familiar figure caught my eye.
It was newly-elected Torbay councillor and the Bay's first directly-elected mayor Nick Bye taking centre stage.
The subject was a tourism tax - making visitors to our shores pay more for the privilege.
A controversial topic but then again controversy was never far away when Nick was in charge at the Town Hall and his views are just as candid and forthright now as he takes a seat in the cabinet in charge of adult and children's services after the Tories' rise to power in the May local elections.
The tourism levy has been mooted by the Mayor of Cornish touirism honeypot St Ives.
Evidentlly, Johnnie Wells said they have already been taking to holiday firms about a voluntary levy across the Tamar because a compulsory charge would need a change to the law.
He has been quoted as saying it is getting harder and harder for the small town to maintain facilities for 540,000 day trippers and 220,000 staying visitors every year.
"We are only 11,500 people, and we only get the money for those people," he told BBC News. "And yet, during the summer, we're providing facilities for hundreds of thousands of visitors when every budget we have is being reduced. It makes it very difficult as a council to make ends meet."
Mr Wells reckons a tourism tax would bring massive benefits to St Ives.
Mr Bye's verdict? Nope!
He says: "It was quite an honour to be invited down to the BBC in Plymouth to participate in the local Sunday morning Politics Show. By chance the last time I appeared a similar hot topic was a subject for discussion: St Ives wanted to charge visitors to use their toilets whilst locals could use them for free.
"Don't get me started! Tourism is the lifeblood for Devon and Cornwall, the source of jobs for so many and without tourists all sorts of things the local population enjoys wouldn't be here."
He added: "From my flat above Torquay town centre I can at a push walk to four theatres, take my pick from several dozen eating houses, catch an open-top bus to Babbacombe or Goodrington and in the distance see the Steam Railway climbing towards Churston. Unless I lived in the West End of London I doubt I would have so many theatres so close and of course a home there would be ten times the price and no beaches to enjoy.
"We are lucky indeed to call the English Riviera 'Home' and despite all the moans and groans much of what we enjoy is a result of tourism and not spoiled by tourists.
"A Tourism Levy would most likely take the form of an accommodation tax, so yet another burden for our hotels, guest houses and holiday parks.
"Businesses have more than enough on their plates with increased food and energy costs, VAT to collect, increasing wages and staff shortages. For many a further tax might be the last straw. A Tourism Levy would definitely send out the wrong message giving the impression visitors were something of a burden and unwelcome.
"It would also make domestic tourism less competitive than going abroad where accommodation costs are subject to much lower rates of VAT or similar taxation."
Mr Bye said that in a sense Torbay already has a 'tourism tax', which is our income from parking.
He says: "I am not in the least squeamish regarding charges for parking by the beach or on the seafront and accept the money for maintaining our parks and gardens, coloured lights and promenades must come from somewhere. Visitors from big cities in particular are unlikely to complain about
our parking charges which are often a fraction of what they are used to, back home.
"Torbay Council also makes a good income from the rents of numerous beach and tourism businesses such as kiosks and cafes, never mind the income from our colourful beach huts."
He maintains: "The biggest pressure on the Council's budget is not from visitors but sad to say our most vulnerable residents. From a net revenue budget circa £130 million for 2023/4 almost £100 million goes on Adult and Children's Services. Quite simply we have the oldest population in the
UK, the group most likely to need help to live independently as well as exceptional numbers of children in care.
"Those are the big ticket items, not the cost of a few flowerbeds or keeping the beaches clean.
"In the longer term I would like to see a more broadly based economy with more jobs in the high tech sector, high value services and manufacturing. During my term of office as Elected Mayor we supported the new business park at Edginswell where there are now hundreds of jobs, expansion at
Whiterock, the relocation of the South Devon College and the New Fish Quay at Brixham. Health and Social Care are now our most important sectors and Torbay Hospital our biggest employer by a country mile.
"But we are a Premier Resort with a simply stunning natural environment for ALL to enjoy. Let's not risk that with a tourism levy."
Evidently, in April, Manchester became the first UK city to launch a visitor charge with people paying extra £1 per room, per night, for their accommodation cost.
I'm not sure we are ready for that in the Bay yet where we need all the visitors we can get. And as for charging tourists to use public loos but not locals - can you imagine the carnage that could cause.
Last word from Mr Bye: "If there are so many tourists in St Ives, Cornwall, they are wearing out the pavements and the Mayor wants to introduce a Tourism Levy, then please send them in our direction."
Couldn't have put it better myself Mr B!